Renowned businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, have filed a defamation suit against policy analyst and honorary vice president of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, at the High Court in Accra.
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that certain published statements made by Simons were defamatory, along with damages of GHS10 million, a retraction, and a perpetual injunction.
According to the statement of claim dated May 28, 2025, Simons is alleged to have published an article on his personal website and shared it on social media on April 19, 2025, titled “Ghana Provides a Lesson in How Not to Nationalise a Gold Mine.”
Mr. Mahama claims the article contains false and malicious statements implying that Engineers & Planners was in financial distress and had undue influence over governmental mining decisions due to his familial relationship with President John Dramani Mahama.
The suit accuses Simons of suggesting that the company’s alleged influence could lead to national commercial losses and conflicts of interest within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
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The businessman also noted that the allegations have damaged his reputation and relationships with financiers, partners, and regulators.
The plaintiffs are demanding that Simons publish an unqualified retraction and apology on the same platforms used for the initial publication, including a full-page retraction in the Daily Graphic for six consecutive editions.
They are also seeking an injunction to restrain any future defamatory publications against them.
The case is pending before the High Court’s General Jurisdiction division.
Read the full writ below:
